


Change

by Cafechan



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Dad!Shadow, Family Bonding, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-25
Updated: 2013-11-25
Packaged: 2018-01-02 14:31:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1057889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cafechan/pseuds/Cafechan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Please, dad, I'm begging you. Don't get too ridiculously drunk at my wedding. Okay?"</p><p>It's more of a gentle suggestion on Silver's part and a formality on Shadow's. Such has been the dynamic between the two of them for many, many years, and such as it will continue to be, but it's their own brand of banter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Change

**Author's Note:**

> some dumb non sequitur nonsense for an AU where shadow raised a baby silver from the future, and silver is also shadow's son, and whatever yeah this is self-indulgent

When Silver approaches Shadow with a special request one week before the wedding—stern (because he's an adult now, darn it, and he needs to be firm about these things) and a little timid (because he's Silver and that's in his nature)—they both know Shadow's flippant reply of, "Yeah, yeah, I won't," is an empty promise. It's more of a gentle suggestion on Silver's part and a formality on Shadow's. Such has been the dynamic between the two of them for many, many years, and such as it will continue to be, but it's their own brand of banter.

"Please, dad, I'm begging you. Don't get _too_ ridiculously drunk at my wedding. Okay?" 

"Yeah, yeah, I won't." Shadow's gaze drifts upwards and his mouth quirks slightly, both telling signs that he isn't being sincere. Silver just sighs and shakes his head, knowing that he'll never be able to sway Shadow once his mind's set to something. Ah, well. It was worth asking.

* * *

 

The wedding is a modest but busy affair. Blaze made the mistake of delegating the role of wedding planner to Amy months prior, and Amy approached the job with all the subtlety that she approaches anything with—that is to say, none. Every individual that Silver and Blaze have ever interacted with and didn't hate is invited through beautiful, lacy cards that Amy designed herself. The red and white color schemed dress code is strictly enforced, to the point of Amy handpicking a good majority of the attendees' outfits herself ("Stop your griping, Knuckles! You're going to wear a tux and you're going to _like it."_ ) The budget is small, so the young hedgehog is somewhat limited in how meticulous she can get, but it's still enough details to make everyone's heads spin.

"Is my tie on straight? Amy said she'd boo me out of the church if I went out there and my tie wasn't on straight…" Silver tugs at the offending article, looking a little feverish at the very thought.

"It's just fine. Don't…" Shadow rubs the back of his head and clears his throat. "Don't get too caught up in the small things, Silver. Details are important, but Blaze will still marry you whether or not your tie is a little crooked."

In almost twenty years of parenting, this is perhaps one of the most fatherly pieces of advice Shadow's ever offered his telekinetic bundle of joy. That's not to say Shadow's never filled his job as a parent to the T before; Silver remembers distant days of Shadow shirking G.U.N. duties to attend parent meetings and skateboard competitions and baseball games (no matter how badly Silver's team lost; for all the abilities shared between Silver and Shadow, both are remarkably uncoordinated with a bat). What Shadow did not provide with words, he always made up for in actions. Silver came to recognize these actions as synonymous with "I love you" a long time ago. 

Silver files away Shadow's words of wisdom with a smile. "Yeah, you're right."

Shadow folds his arms, which is more unwieldy than usual what with the layers and layers of formalwear bundling him up like a big, dapper burrito. "I always am."

* * *

 

The ceremony flies by, short and sweet just like Silver requested. Cream and Amy get emotional enough about it to suffice for the entire room. Vanilla is practically radiant with motherly pride, despite her familial association with Blaze being purely sentimental—she's always treated the orphaned cat like another daughter, and Blaze considers Vanilla a mother, even if she's never said so outright.

Sonic whoops and cheers inappropriately when the couple kisses, and Team Chaotix follows his example until half of the room is cheering. Not exactly standard wedding protocol, but then again, Blaze and Silver aren't exactly the types to follow what's standard.

Rouge remains prim and proper in the midst of all the hubbub, though she grins her usual perfect smile, dutifully snapping photos for the couple. She never thought spying for the government and taking sneaky polaroids of treasures, scandals, and political figures would prepare her for a task like this.

Shadow sits in the back row and claps demurely, but anyone who really knew him could tell you that he's happy. He always has been, when it came to Silver.

* * *

 

Defying Silver's wishes and surprising no one, Shadow gets completely smashed at the wedding reception. Most of the guests find it hilarious, so nobody stops him. In fact, Vector goads him on, and the two get into a drinking contest. (Shadow comes out the glorious, stumbling victor, also surprising no one.) Silver only outwardly expresses his mortification once Shadow starts loudly recalling several embarrassing snippets of Silver's childhood. Blaze is a faithful wife and tries her hardest not to look curious about the Halloween when young Silver decided to be a ballerina.

"Thought fer sure that he'd grow up an' not like women at all," Shadow drawls, tightly gripping the lovely maroon table cloth that Amy also handpicked. Like everyone else, Amy's too enthralled by drunken Shadow to scold him. "Imagine my shurprise." He gestures to Blaze, who's barely staving off a bad case of the giggles from the other end of the table.

"Shadow, dear, I think you've had enough to drink." Vanilla steps in, detecting Silver's discomfort. "Why don't you save some room for dessert? They haven't even cut the wedding cake yet."

Shadow nods slowly and puts his wine glass down, not because Vanilla asked him to but because he's got a secret sweet tooth that he rarely has the opportunity to indulge in. Silver's sigh of relief is audible from here.

The black hedgehog rubs his face and stares down into whatever's in his cup right now. The chatter of conversation and clanking of dinnerware envelopes him once his own voice is no longer the loudest thing in his ears. He ought to feel some embarrassment over his public drunken outburst, but he's too old and too inebriated to give a damn at this point. And if Blaze doesn't have any parents to embarrass the newlyweds, then the obligation falls squarely on his shoulders. At least, he thinks that's the wedding tradition. He doesn't remember anymore. Amy did try to indoctrinate him with rules and customs, but he might have tuned most of that conversation out. She just has this way of going on and on and…

And Shadow sobers a little when he looks at Silver smiling and laughing with Blaze. The white hedgehog keeps pulling at his collar like it's too tight (which is impossible because Amy checked his measurements three times to be certain that the suit fitted like a glove), and his immaculately styled quills are a little disheveled after being through the ceremony and congratulatory hugs from dozens of friends. Sonic tells them some kind of dumb joke, and Silver gives his usual dimpled, lopsided grin—the one he's had since he was but a handful of energy in a highchair, one tooth missing from natural causes and another from misadventures with a tricycle. 

Shadow's seen that grin hundreds, if not thousands of times, but he has to pause for this one. Decorated and groomed as he is, Silver's still the same gawky child with a heart of gold Shadow's always known him for, yet today marks such a huge change in both their lives. Shadow is happy that, through a never-ending series of trial and error (a lot of error), he was able to rear a decently well-adjusted young hedgehog, but…

Shadow blinks. He shakes his head too, for good measure. Physically, he feels the same as he always has (and always will), but somehow, he feels incredibly old at the moment. He considers Silver in all of his oddities and naiveté, and simultaneously in all of his growth and maturity. Twenty years ago, Silver couldn't even sit up on his own, and now he's moving on to a new chapter of his life with a wife by his side. Twenty years ago, Shadow was Shadow, and he continues to be Shadow. Twenty-one years ago, he was alone, and he can't help but wonder if Silver moving on means returning to that. 

The thought leaves a bitter taste in his mouth. For the first few years of Silver's upbringing process, Shadow often thought himself insufficient for the task of raising a child. He yearned for his days of quiet and solitude. There were times where he even wished someone else would take custody of the super powered ball of fluff altogether, so that he could be spared responsibility for all the issues it would surely have later on in life. Yet, with time, he changed to fit the role and learned how to be what Silver needed, and…

And maybe he's not the same as he was all those years ago after all. Maybe Silver raised Shadow just as much as Shadow raised Silver, even if in different ways. Shadow knows how to let go of all the nitpicky things and just live life. He knows how to kick back and smile a little more.

Looking up from his alcohol, he catches sight of his son again, softens, and wonders how this hopelessly awkward child managed to change his life. He thinks about how happy Silver would be to hear that. He'll probably never put it into words, but he has a feeling Silver already knows.


End file.
